Not All Agave is Created Equal

Today Mercola posted an article basically ripping apart agave nectar, claiming that it is far worse than high fructose corn syrup. Some of us feel Mercola is a bit too simplistic in his thinking and that he may even have the hidden agenda of creating controversy so people forward his articles. It seems to be working! :-)

There does seem to be a lot of controversy around agave these days. David Favor, the creator of SunFire Super Foods (the brand of agave we distribute), has posted this link is to earlier questions and responses about agave: http://radicalhealth.com/super-foods/vanilla-agave-nectar-decoded.html

Additionally, David's response to Mercola's article is this:

Take a tomato... If it's grown in weak soil, sprayed with pesticides,
heated, tortured, chemicalized and canned... is it really a tomato?

Same with Agave.

A $15 blood glucose meter tells the tale.

I only eat and package Agave which is blood sugar neutral or lowering.

The other simple test is people using high quality Agave tend to rapidly balance weight - gaining/losing as required. While downscale Agave puts on pounds at a rapid pace.

So a $15 meter and bathroom scales tell the tale.

David further commented:

Worse yet another well known Raw Food entrepreneur is now saying all Agave has high fructose corn syrup added, which is false.

He's doing this as his company has lost their stranglehold on the Agave supply and their profits are down. Now he's promoting Yacon Syrup, as he thinks he has better control over Yacon supplies.

Ah I could tell you stories...

I use to think people in the health food industry were all about serving those who desire/require service. I'm now aware of my idealism. :-)

I can tell you from personal experience that all agave nectars are not the same. I have tried a couple different brands and experienced various unpleasantries with them. David Favor is very particular about what he puts his name on. I trust him completely in the quality of his SunFire Super Food line. We have a pretty large customer base who use our agave nectar regularly and who like the results.

Melissa and I have both been drinking Chocolate Bliss, sweetened with SunFire Vanilla Agave Nectar, 2 or 3 times a day, almost every day for about one and a half years. We have both lost weight. Melissa has gone from a size 12 to a size 6 without any additional exercising. We both feel and look much healthier. We also eat other superfoods and more raw foods as well. I do think if our agave nectar were bad for us, particularly as bad as Dr. Mercola says, we would be gaining weight and getting less healthy with as much of it as we consume.

I would advise you to trust what your body tells you. If you feel good using it, it is most likely good for you. If you have ill effects, don't use it. We have mixed up batches of Chocolate Bliss with other sweeteners such as honey and dates and they work well. If you aren't comfortable using agave, you can try these. We personally like our Chocolate Bliss the best with SunFire Vanilla Agave Nectar.

Processing is everything. If you look at guarana and yerba mate, when heated they become stimulants with lots of adverse side affects. When processed raw, they are adaptogens without the negative side affects. David Favor knows raw food and what works. He has a very sensitive body due to his having ingested gasoline accidentally as a child. I suspect Mercola is not basing his article on personal experience, nor has he tried, sampled or tested all the brands of agave nectar available. I don't doubt there are some 'unhealthy' sources out there. We all know you can find articles to support most any position you want to take. David bases his product decisions on personal, every day use. I am good with that.

An open mind is a wonderful thing,

Dan

Raw Corn Bread (Dehydrated) and Zucchini Bread Too!

We just had a lovely group of about 20 people over for our monthly Raw Superfood Dinner and this Raw Cornbread went really well with the Celery Sunflower Soup.  Many thanks to Yemiah's Raw Food DVD's for this recipe and inspiration for the variation I tried out below 1... Zucchini Walnut Rosemary Bread.  Mmmmmm!

Note that this recipe calls for a dehydrator.  I use and highly suggest the Good4u 10 tray dehydrator ... It's quiet and convenient.  If you don't have a dehydrator, you could try drying the corn bread in your oven on it's lowest setting (warm) with the oven door ajar.  You risk heating the bread above 115 degrees (the limit for maintaining it's "raw-ness" and the enzymes that go with that).  Just keep an eye on the bread and make sure it doesn't get too hot and crispy. :)

Here's the recipe for the corn bread:
2 Cups Almond Pulp (grind 2 Cups of Almonds in your food processor or dry container of the Vitamix)
16 oz frozen organic corn niblets defrosted
1 tsp Sun Fire Salt
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar (great if you prefer a slightly sweet cornbread like I do)
3 Tbsp Olive oil
1-2 Jalapeno Peppers chopped fine (optional)

Food process everything except the jalapeno until a doughy consistency is formed.  Add the jalapeno and process a little longer until well chopped and mixed.

Spread dough onto a teflex sheet about 1/4 inch thick and dehydrate for about 6 hours.  When top of bread is dry to the touch, flip onto the mesh sheet and pull off the teflex.  (see a video of how to do this with flax crackers here).  Dehydrate another 8 hours, then slice into squares and dehydrate another 2 hours or so.  Once you cut the bread into squares you should be able to get an evenly "cooked" bread.

Store in the freezer or refrigerator for best results.

And here's the Zucchini-Walnut-Rosemary Bread Version:

2 Cups Almond Pulp (grind 2 Cups of Almonds in your food processor or dry container of the Vitamix)

2 Cups Zucchini (cut into chunks)

1 tsp Sun Fire Salt

3 Tbsp Olive oil

1-2 Tbsp Rosemary (fresh is best)

1/2 Cup Walnuts

Food process everything except the walnuts until a doughy consistency is formed.  Add the walnuts and process a little longer until well chopped and mixed.

Spread dough onto a teflex sheet about 1/4 inch thick and dehydrate for about 6 hours.  When top of bread is dry to the touch, flip onto the mesh sheet and pull off the teflex.  (see a video of how to do this with flax crackers here).  Dehydrate another 8 hours, then slice into squares and dehydrate another 2 hours or so.  Once you cut the bread into squares you should be able to get an evenly "cooked" bread.

Store in the freezer or refrigerator for best results.

Enjoy!

Raw Key Lime Pie

I love key lime pie and now that I found this raw version I love it even more.  Regular key lime pie tastes so sweet and processed to my tastebuds now that I'm used to eating more raw, pristine, live foods.  I found a raw key lime pie recipe online and have adjusted it to taste even more like the key lime I remember and better.

This raw dessert takes a bit longer than our yummy raw apple pie, but it's worth it when you've got a key lime craving.  I make suggestions for simplifying below, and I highly suggest you take the time to zest and juice those tiny key limes at least once so you taste how really yummy, key limey they are. :)

Here's the recipe ...

For the Crust:
1/2 Cup Almonds
1 Cup Walnuts
1/2 Cup Dates
1/4 Cup Raisins
2 Tbsp orange juice (or water if no orange juice available)

Process all the ingredients in a food processor until crumbly and dough-like.  Press into a 9" pie pan or a spring-form pan and chill while you make the rest of the pie.

For The Key Lime Filling:
1 Cup Cashews (soaked)
Zest of the key limes or limes
Juice of 18 key limes or 8 limes. (should make about 3/4 cup juice)
4 average avocados or 2 large ones

Blend everything until creamy (you may need to process this in several batches if you're not using a high-powered blender like the Vitamix).  Pour into chilled crust and spread evenly.  Refrigerate while making the frosting.

For the Frosting:
1 Cup Macadamia Nuts (not soaked)
1/4 Cup Cashews (soaked)
1/2 Cup Almond Milk
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract (or 1 vanilla bean scraped)
3 Tbsp Vanilla Agave Nectar (or honey)

Blend everything in clean blender until smooth.  Pour on top of filling and spread evenly.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.  Garnish with key lime wedges, lime zest or just enjoy as is!

I've never had a pie longer than a day because it gets eaten up so fast.  I'm guessing it would last in the fridge for about 4-6 days.  I'm testing freezing one and will report back on that soon.

Now, if you want to make this easier, you could use bottled lime juice (I like the Santa Cruz brand).  I'd start with 3/4 Cup of lime juice and taste test from there.  I'd also forgo the lime zest as that's what really takes a lot of time.

If you want a nut-free version of key lime pie, I would make a key lime mousse in a glass.  So, no crust and substitute coconut butter for the cashews in the filling.  Instead of the whipped topping, top it with slices of kiwi, mango and banana.  Mmmmmmm yummy and even easier! :)

Enjoy!

Dad is great, he gives us Chocolate Cake!

Whenever I think about chocolate cake I think of the Bill Cosby routine where it's his turn to feed his kids breakfast and he gives them chocolate cake.  All the kids start chanting, "Dad is great! He gives us Chocolate Cake!"

I chant this a little when I eat this raw version of Chocolate Cake.  And unlike the Bill Cosby skit, you don't get in trouble with mom when you have it for breakfast, because it's raw, and well, a heckuva lot better for you than cooked, processed chocolate cake.

So here's the recipe I use whenever I crave chocolate cake:

2 Cups Almonds (or half pecans)  (best if the nuts are soaked, but OK if not)
1/2 Cup Cacao Powder (or add a little Carob powder if you like that flavor)
1/2 Cup Vanilla Agave Nectar (or sweetener of your choice)
2/3 Cup Tahini (or other nut butter)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Optional: half a pear or 1/2 Cup coconut milk for extra moist cake

Blend all ingredients in food processor or blender.  Spread batter onto wax paper or into a cake pan.  Eat immediately or freeze for later enjoyment.

I usually spread my cake into a thin layer because a little bit goes a long way.  When I eat it, I sometimes put it in a bowl and add some coconut milk so I get a flavor sensation of chocolate cake and the creaminess of ice cream without the extra hassle.  Or I put some extra fruit on top for even more moist tasty sensation.

You are great! You're eating Chocolate Cake!

:)